The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-06-16
GREAT INDIGNATION {
ovor tho Return Of Rebel Battle Flags by
at#gl laC# President Clovolnud. i@i

| 5ErN 0hbhI lNDldNATlON l&Fsta3
over tho Return of Rebel Battle Fisgs By
President cleveland. On Z m
CINCINNATI, June 15.-General Boynton
tho Washington correspondent Of the Com.
mercial Ga:elte, telegraphu as follows: The
"pleaoant duty" Of sorting and preparing
the, rebel Gags captured by Union soldiers,
at the cost Of countless livea, Tor tranBmis.
sion Of the Governors OF the Southern
States, Ia progressing rapidly at the War
Department. More precisely, the most In.
famous outrage ever porpettated upon the
soldiers who haye fought the wars Of the
Republic Is there In progress, and partially
contaminated. Five hundred and forty.
five Confederate battle Haga are being
packed Tor delivery to those whom Psaai.
dent Cleveland chooses to treat as the
legitimate successors OF the States OF the
Conlederaey. Let the Nation pause mo-
ment In these hours OF dearly purchased
peace, and muse upon what the capture Of
hall a thousand fags In actual battle
means, and measure this act by such re.
Elections. It seems almost impossible to
make q cool statement OF the situation.
There is not brave Confederate living
who IN hla secret heart must not feel dis.
gust for those who conceived such per.
formance. And no President, and no Sec.
rotary oil War who had ever known from
personal experience what courageous sol.
diera Of either side felt and still feel when
memories OF the past crowd back upon
them, would ever have dreamed of such
disposition Of these flags. But the fiat OF
. Democratic Administration has gone
forth, and these captured aags are being
boxed Tor shipment 10 Southern Capitals,
1tseems that the President gave the or.
der before he left on his vacation. It IL
not clear whether he or Secretary Endi.
colt originated the Idea, but both appear
to warmly approve It. So far as known In
the offices Of the department, whore such
things should be known, 1t is said that
there has been no formal correspondence
on the subject beyond the order and the
circular letter written by Adjutant Gener.
al Drum by direction Of the President
This will bear repeating: il27
'"The President Of the United States
having approved the Recommendation
that all tho flags In the custody Of the
War Department be returned to the au.
thorities Of the respective States in which
the regiments which bore them were Or
ganized, for such final disposition as they
may determine, I am instructed by the
Honorable Secretary Of War to make you
(inthe name Of the War Department. a
tender Of the flags now in this Office be-
longing to late volunteer organizations Of
the State Of Virginia. In discharging this
pleasant duty l beg you will please ad-
wise me OF your wishes In thia matter. It
is the intention, in returning each flag, to
give its history ss far as it Is possible to
do 60, stating the circumstances Of Its cap
ture and recovery: n ii5JF,,s13.ff4it.1
These blood.stained evidences OF Low.
atty and patriotism are to be sent back to
float over Confederate remaine; to hang
on the walls OF Southern State Capitols;
to animate the efoquence Of such men as
D. H.. Hill and to enable Jefferson Davis
to exclaim with more emphasis than ever:
I'VE were right!" In Washington theae
flags are not publicly displayed. In the
South they will be exhibited as rccaptured
trophies to be cherished with reverence
and sacredly guarded. For more than
twenty years they have been held by the
War Department in trust for the loyal
men who saved the Union. That trust is
now to be violated by a Democratic Ad-
ministration. Why An officer who has
epent forty years in his country's service
to-day aaid: " do not understand this. I
suppose Cleveland can get the uomins.
ton any way, and, OF course, If be ia nom.
mated the South will support him. It
hardly seemed worth while to insult every
man who fought for the Union"
An old army officer remarked: "Well,
you know neither Mr.. Cleveland nor Mr..
Endicott exactly appreciate the eignid.
cance OF Hag. presume that the stars
and stripes seem to be nothing more than
a few yards OF bunting or silk to either OF
them: The stars and stripes and the stars
and bars are about the same to them"
a man who served long in the navy
said: This Administration has begun
where Buchanan left Of. Our ships were
scattered in remote seas and our arms sent
TO Southern arsenals in 1860. In 1887 the
asgs that We captured from the rebels are
returned to them. It is the same old party,
after all" n iyr !. NJ. .&9gg $1l.s =
:. Among members Of the Grand Army Of
the Republic who were seen to-day the
feelingis bitter in the extreme, and It will
probably result in some official expression
at the National encsmpmeut. Better
burn them, say most Of these veterans. 2
Ils.l5 Ohio Indignant. -at
CoLuMsuS, o., June l5.-Governor For.
aker to-day received telegram from D.
Q. Putnam, OF Springfield, Department
Commander ! Of the Grand Army of the
Republic Of Ohio, urging him on behalf Of
$4,000 comrades Of this department to pro-
test to the authorities at Washing
ton against the return OF rebel
flags captured by the soldiers
Of Ohio. The Governor forwarded the
telegram to President Cleveland, and in
the came connection said: HIn transmit-
k;nn thin xaananaa .lon;.a !. = -aa.a.i..-:IL